As Omicron continues to generate a dominate presence, sweeping across not only the United States, but the world, many are at risk of catching the disease, including children. Child COVID hospitalizations are up 30% as Omicron continues to rise.
According to a recent CBS News report, the U.S. is averaging 260 pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations a day, up nearly 30% from last week.
“We need to get child vaccinations up. We need to get them higher than they are, particularly in the 5-to-11-year-old age group,” said Mary T. Bassett, the acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Health in an interview with CBS News.
Echoing Bassett’s sentiments, New York Presbyterian chief pediatrician Dr. Sallie Permar told CBS News correspondent Meg Oliver that, “The vaccine is so much safer than getting the virus itself.”
She continued, “And so giving your child the vaccine keeps them safer than letting them get infected with this virus without any immunity from a vaccine.”
Permar went on to say that hospitals typically see a rise in pediatric admissions this time of year; however, parents should not let their guards down and should take the COVID-19 Omicron variant very seriously.
“[The symptoms are] serious enough to be admitted to the hospital, which again is an indication that this is not just a disease of adults.”
What are a few ways that you can help ensure that your child is as protected as they can be from this new variant? Here are four suggestions from kidshealth.org.
1. getting a vaccine and booster shot when possible.
2. social distancing (also called physical distancing)
3. washing hands well and often.
4. in some cases, mask-wearing (over age 2)
In addition to above, here are a few other ways to help protect your little one under five.
1. Keep kids home who are showing symptoms of illness.
2. Pay attention to who your kids are interacting with so that, if you need, you can retrace their interactions and exposures.
3. Assess how risk-averse your family needs to be.
For more information on the Omicron variant and children, you may also visit cdc.gov.
